For the Married…And Unmarried

Nobody plans it, it just seems to happen. Romance runs headlong into reality, something gives, and it is usually romance. At first it's just two love-birds with no higher earthly priority than each other's happiness. Then comes the patter of tiny feet, and our well-ordered world gets turned upside down. Children don't fit neatly into our schedules and agendas. They can't and won't wait. Three kids, two jobs, one mortgage later, and romance seems to be a distant memory. Two overworked people wonder where they lost that romantic feeling and whether it will ever return.

Some settle for marriage without the sizzle; some stay till the kids are older, then look for greener, more romantic pastures. But God offers a third, more exciting alternative: God's alternative - do what it takes to restore your 'first love.' (This Scripture was written to the church at Ephesus, but the principle also applies to building a good marriage). So:

1) Re-examine your perceptions. We think our current sizzle-free status is proof that romantic love is dead and the dream forever lost. That's because we confuse romance with love. Romance brings people together, but love keeps them together. People who love each other can make romance live again - at any age or stage.

2) Realise that the sizzle wasn't lost, it was 'left.' "You have left [behind] your first love." It didn't leave you. It didn't die. A new partner is not the solution.

3) Retrace your steps. You'll find romance where you left it: undernourished, crowded out, overlooked and seriously oxygen-deprived, but not dead. God created marriage. Talk to Him. Follow His instructions and your romance can live again.

I really enjoy seeing African-Americans movies, and this particular film is no exception. In fact, I can’t stop watching it and I can’t wait to see ‘Why Did I Get Married too’.Really, Tyler Perry got me hooked on this one, that after seeing it several times, I was able to sift one or more things from it and I’d like to share them here.

Before I share what I learnt, let me give a synopsis of the movie…There are four couples who go on an annual one week vacation – more like a reunion. During this vacation, they reconnect, talk, pray, iron out issues and so on – but this vacation opened up secrets that they’ve all bottled up. Secrets that made them ask such question as ‘Why did I Get Married?’I’m going to be looking at the couple one after the other…Mike & Sheila (Richard T. Jones & Jill Scott)The problem with this couple is Sheila’s stature. Sheila is on the fat side but Mike just couldn’t live with that! And so he insults her at every opportunity he could find. This gave Sheila…

Rebecca is one bundle of great lessons. God didn’t just
choose her to birth a mighty, strong and undefeatable nation; God saw in her
rare virtues that weren’t common in their days (and in our days). Let’s take a
look at the life of this virtuous woman from Genesis 24: 1. Rebekah…CAME
OUT with her pitcher on her shoulder (Vs.15): this great woman came out or
went out to work; she was hardworking and would not have her maids do the dirty
work (vs. 61) and would not delegate. She would work all by herself
irrespective of her status, background, and wealth (Gen 24:61). She was not
ashamed to work or flaunt her work tool (her pitcher on her shoulder); she would
not sit idle at home when others are working on the field. 2. Now the young woman was very BEAUTIFUL TO BEHOLD (Vs 16a): she was a
woman of class and beauty. She was good looking; well dressed; she was
presentable and good to associate with. 3. A VIRGIN;
no man had known her (Vs.16b): she wasn’t just beautiful, she was chaste in all
wa…